Safety-float for ships.



PATENTEI) JUNE 11, 1967.

R. HELD. SAFETY FLOAT FOR SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-30.1906.

WITNESSES mam ROBERT HELD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SAFETY-FLOAT FOR SHIPS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed August 30,1906. Serial No. 332,614.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT HELD, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Safety- Floats for Ships, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being .had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in safety floats for ships,and it consists in the novel construction of float more fully set forthin the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ship showing myinvention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 22 ofFig. 1 the top of one of the floats being partly broken away to show thepartitions thereof; and Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on line 33 ofFig. 1.

The object of my invention is to provide ships and vessels, particularlycraft eonstructed of wood, with independent air-tight vessels or floats,and preferably interposed between the keel and the lower deck, which, inthe event the ship springs a leak will keep the ship afloat. The floatsare preferably divided by partitions into a series of independentair-tight compartments, so that in the event the walls of one or more ofsuch compartments are punctured and filled with water, sufficientbuoyancy will still remain in the float to keep the ship from sinking.

The advantages of the invention will be better apparent from a detaileddescription thereof which is as follows:

Referring to the drawings, S, represents a conventional form of ship orvessel. Between the lower deck (1 thereof and keel on each side of thelongitudinal center of the vessel is interposed a float F constructedout of boiler plate or other suitable material, the

length and cubic capacity of the combined floats being sufficient toimpart the necessary by any equivalent and approved method ofengineering construction.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the floats F act in the natureof floating barges which, disposed on each side of the vessel S willkeep the latter afloat under all conditions. These floats areindependent of the vessel proper and must not be confounded with theprevailing air-tight compartments forming constructive features invessels of steel and iron.

The shape and details of the floats can of course be varied without inany wise affecting the nature or spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

In combination with a ship, suitable vertically disposed floatsinterposed and occupy- .ing the vertical space between the keel andlower deck thereof on each side of the vessel, means for securing thefloats to the lower deck, and means located below the lower deck forbracing and mechanically connecting the floats against shifting ordisplacement, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT HELD. IVitnesses:

EMIL STAREK, MARY D. WnrreoMB.

